I think this is a case of trying to compress what could be an article by itself into one line on a chart! When you look at the whole chart, there are multiple sources of fat (as Becky already said.) I think this line is talking about *added* fat-- straight oil. If you're pouring more than a teaspoon of oil onto your food every day *in addition to* eating things like nuts, avocado, fatty fish, and so on, then you're probably getting a little too much fat. If you're using plain oil instead of those other good-fat foods, then you're probably missing out on some important vitamins and other nutrients. If you eat the amounts suggested for ALL the foods in the chart, you'll get plenty of fat even if you don't use plain oil.

I almost never use oil myself, but unfortunately I have NO trouble meeting (and exceeding) my fat allowance!

The article could have been clearer about that, but they were trying to fit a huge amount of information on a small page. If you look at the nutrient ranges in the nutrition tracker, the recommended total will be far more than the 5g you would get from one teaspoon of oil.

It's kind of like saying that you shouldn't drink more than one glass of juice per day. That doesn't mean that one glass of juice provides all the carbohydrate you need; it just means that there are a lot of other sources of carbs, some of which are healthier than juice, so you should be getting most of your carbs from other sources. There are lots of other sources of fat, some of which are healthier than oil, so you should be getting most of your fat from other sources.

The fat category is really "difficult" to give a specific amount regarding overall health. since fat comes in a form by itself as an oil; but it is also obtained in foods too. One may be getting additional fat in their milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, meat choices. Healthy fats could also be in nuts, seeds, peanuts, nut and peanut butters, avocado, etc. One may also be getting fat in pastries, pie, chips, snack crackers, muffins, etc.

This chart is just a guideline; not a strict recommendation. When you use your SP nutrition tracker, you can specifically see your total daily fat intake.

Becky Your SP Registered Dietitian

BUNNYKICKS
Posts:
2,433
11/7/13 10:49 A

"I think asking them whether they are correct isn't going to get the response you want. "

Well that depends whether there's been an error/typo on the page. I have actually seen information questioned where it HAS turned out to be a typo, and subsequently corrected. I don't know if this is a typo or not... and I also am curious as to how this recommended weekly serving was arrived at....

That said... at the end of the day, Spark is going to recommend "added fat" intake in a manner that will cause "the average user" to end up with an overall daily fat intake that falls within "Spark Ranges."

BUNNYKICKS
Posts:
2,433
11/7/13 10:46 A

Huh. That does seem.... off, somehow.

My daily fat intake Spark Range is 27-60 grams. Olive oil is 5 grams per teaspoon. So if olive oil were my ONLY source of fat, i would need to take in over 5 teaspoons in a day to meet the minimum suggested requirement. And up to 12 teaspoons a day would still be "within range."

Now obviously, added olive oil is NOT the only source of fat in my (and most people's) diets... so you have to account for the amount of fat that is going to crop up naturally in the dairy, meat, and vegetables themselves. I guess what you need to do is see how much fat you're getting from these sources, and THEN determine how many teaspoons of "added fat" you could include in your diet while remaining within range. Perhaps most people are already getting 25+ grams of fat from their foods, in which case trying to limit the "added fat" to a teaspoon or two a day is reasonable advice.

Since they recommended it, I am sure that is what they mean, and would say was enough.

I doubt they are thinking that you would consume 1 tsp or less a day, but rather hve maybe 3 tsp. 2 X a week in certain dishes.

I am sure they have some reason why they settled on 7 tsp a week, but I have no idea why.

You can choose to follow it or not, but it is there guidelines. I consume 12-18 Tbsp, a week and have no issues, so it really comes down to who you think is right. If you wish to follow their plan, then you might want to follow it in it's entirety.

You obviously think differently than SP, but that isn't a reason for them to admit that they are wrong, or that they are. That is their guidelines, and they aren't likely to change. It is their advice to their 15 million members, and may not fit everyone definition of what is correct.

I think asking them whether they are correct isn't going to get the response you want.

What you really need to know is why they settled on 7 tsp. a week, so that you can decide whether you agree, and wish to use their guidelines in this case. It might be because of calories, or fat %. Finding out the reason would be important.

I am sure you will find many people who do well without oils, at SP recommended levels, at WW levels, or even higher, like me. None are correct for all. They work for those individuals.

What you need is the reasoning behind the levels suggested.

SIMPLYABUNDANT
Posts:
5,609
11/7/13 10:21 A

The Spark Diet recommends less than 7 tsp of healthy oils a week according to the "good" column of the chart on this page:

That is less than a tsp. of oil per day. Is that adequate? I am coming from a Weight Watchers background where the *minimum* of healthy oils was 2 tsp. a day. My dad's cardiologist recommends the Mediterranean diet, which also has a higher recommendation for healthy oils. Just wanted to hear your thoughts on whether what SP recommends is enough. Thanks!

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